letters
by caniex
Summary: she only asked one thing of him when he left for creta... well, two. / post-promised day edwin.
1. prologue

**pairing:** ed/winry, post-promised day

**themes:** fluff

**summary:** she only asked one thing of him when he left for creta. well, two.

**a/n:** okay hi so this is my first ever (thank my lucky stars) multi-chapter edwin fanfic! i've already posted the first couple of chapters on my tumblr (which is rckbell, in case you're wondering!) and the response has been phenomenally positive, so i figured, eh what the hell. time to start posting on ffnet as well! i'm super excited about this, and i doubt it'll be more than maybe a few chapters but who knows? i just hope you guys like it as much as i do!

**enjoy!~**

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><p>When Edward had announced his and Alphonse's plans to travel to the west and east, respectively, he wasn't exactly sure what to expect from his mechanic.<p>

He only predicted that it would involve either screaming, yelling, crying, a wrench ground into this skull, or some sort of horrible combination. He expected her to extremely unhappy with the situation, given how much she'd loved having them around those past two years.

And it should be known that he and Al both had loved it, too. It wasn't that he wanted to leave Resembool, but he and Al just couldn't sit still any longer. That was just the way they were; always moving, always exploring, but always coming back home in the end.

Although he'd never admit it, being able to just relax and do simple housework and not have to worry about being killed or sacrificed or any of _that stuff_ was a very welcome change of pace. Contrary to his original beliefs, life in the small, quiet countryside wasn't nearly as boring as he'd made it out to be. There was a lot to love about the small town, which also meant there'd be a lot to miss.

The morning walks into town with Den, sparring and studying every last book with Al, sleeping well into the afternoon, the friendly residents of the area, the delectable cooking, the cozy and comforting Rockbell house that he found it easy to call his new home. But the thing, the person he'd miss the most?

The certain blonde mechanic that he'd grown up with, the one who gave him an arm and a leg, who always welcomed the brothers into her home with open arms. The very same one who, no matter how many wrenches she threw or how many insulted they spewed out at each other, was always constantly caring. The one who made these last two years some of the best in a very long while. The girl that for years people had vowed he'd fall in love with. The woman who, unbeknownst to those people, he'd fallen in love with a long time ago.

And that, perhaps, was the reason Edward was dreading to tell her that in just a few short weeks, he'd be on a train heading to the western country of Creta. He was so positive he knew exactly how she'd react, and that certainly wouldn't make it any easier to leave. Leave her.

And that's why he was so surprised at how she'd _actually_ taken the news.

**—-**

"So, let me get this straight," she started, her voice level and unreadable. "You're going to West, to do… research?"

He gulped as her sapphire eyes met his. He was anticipating some sort of fist or welding tool to connect with his head momentarily, but he figured with some smooth talking, he might be able to avoid it.

"Well, yeah. See, there're some cities and towns over there, in Creta. They're not any kind of alchemic powerhouse like Amestris, but I'm interested in what they're brewing up over there; if it's any different from our kind of alchemy. I mean, it'll really only be a few months; maybe a year, and I'll be back home before you know it!"

She studied him for a moment, her expression still completely unreadable, before she swept her hand up.

Ed cringed, bracing for impact, only to find her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose; not colliding with the side of his head.

She exhaled deeply, lowering her hand and eyeing him curiously. "Did you really think I was going to_ hit_you?!"

"You aren't mad?!" He asked, ignoring her question and looking at her in disbelief.

She rolled her eyes at him, sighing. "You idiot. Did you really _think_ I didn't notice the two of you hunching over maps of Xing and Creta these past few months? Did you really _expect_ me to think that you'd just never leave ever again? For crying out loud, Edward, I'm not stupid."

Her expression softened. "Of course I'm going to miss you, dummy. But you've been growing stir-crazy for weeks, months, even. It'll be good for you," she said, smiling.

He laughed softly, running his hands through his bangs, totally relieved. "Oh my god, Winry. I was so sure you were going to kill me, or-"

"Alright, if you're going to be traveling again, I need you to do two things for me."

He glanced at her, slightly confused. "…O-_kay_?"

She smirked for a second, then quickly masked the smile with a serious gaze. "First things first: for the love of god, Edward, _please_ keep up with your maintenance."

He rolled his eyes at her; that one earned him a smack on the shoulder.

"_Ow_ - _Damn it_, Winry!"

"I'm not kidding! Unless you want to be back here every single month, you have to take care of it! And do you even know how much work it is, especially yours - !?"

He waved a hand in front of her, annoyed. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, I'll keep up on it, sure. What's the second thing?"

**—-**

And it was _that one request_ that landed him in this current predicament.

Sitting here, at an old, wooden desk in the room he'd be staying in for however long.

Only days after he'd proposed to her at the train station in an act of sheer bravery. Or idiocy; he wasn't sure. He just thanked his lucky stars she said yes.

He sighed, staring at the parchment in front of him that inevitably would be read by her. Her; the woman he loved. God, it'd only been what, two days since he'd arrived in Creta and he_ already_ missed her?

This was going to be a long couple of months.

He blinked at the paper again; thoughts and recaps swimming through his brain. He was actually a little excited to tell her about Creta, so far. But where to even begin.

He'd written only a very small handful of letters in his lifetime, and almost all of them had been something for the military.

He didn't even know where to start.

"Practice makes perfect," he muttered under his breath.

He grabbed a pen, testing the ink on a scrap note, before carefully constructing his handwriting on the parchment.

_Dear Winry…_


	2. chapter one

**a/n:** so it's the first official chapter which is exciting! there was such an overwhelmingly positive response to the prologue on my tumble, so thank you guys so much! i'm so happy that you like it! now i will say, this chapter is on the short side, but we're just getting the ball rolling; there will be loooong chapters in the future, i'm sure. i really hope you all like it!

**enjoy!~**

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><p><em>Dear Winry,<em>

_I know you said that you wanted letters, so here goes._

_I've only been here for two days so not much has happened. I'm staying with a guy named Lou. He's some sort of acquaintance of Mustang's, but this guy's actually pretty decent. He runs a little restaurant, and we live in the space above the shop. It's pretty small; my room's the size of a closet but it'll do. (Don't you dare make some sort of short joke about that or the engagement's off!)_

_Feels kinda weird that just last week… and now we're engaged. It's a good weird though; the very best kind._

_Al's been bugging me to finally man up and do it for practically forever; he figured it out a really long time ago. He'll probably freak out once the word gets to him. And when he finds out how I did it. That'll be one that goes down in the history books, huh?_

_Anyway, Creta's really freaking hot. I don't know how the hell people live like this. I mean, I knew that it would be kinda warm, but I figured it would be like Rush Valley. It's a million times hotter, at least! You probably wouldn't like the heat much, but the food is amazing. There's a lot of fish and spicy meats; it's all really fresh and you'd think it gets boring but they douse it in all these different sauces. I've never even heard of most of the stuff I've eaten!_

_It's really different from Amestris, here. Not only just the food and the weather, but the entire atmosphere is. The people are kind of loud, but they're all pretty nice, so far. Not a lot of people are familiar with the concept of alchemy, and I have yet to discover a Cretan equivalent. I only just got here, so it isn't like there's a huge rush or anything, but I'm gonna go deeper into town and ask around about it. Thank god there's not a language barrier or anything or this whole thing would be freaking impossible._

_Automail's almost completely unheard of, too. I had to roll up my pants yesterday because it was so damn humid out and everyone who saw my leg freaked out. They asked if I was a robot and when I said no, they asked what happened. I just said it was an accident; easier than explaining the whole thing, anyway. They were really amazed by it! They asked me if I built it myself, and I said no way in hell. So I told them all about you, even showed Lou a picture. He says I'm a really lucky guy. I think he's right._

_I hope that. It's really weird not. I've been thinking about you. I know it's really fucking mushy but._

_I really miss you._

_Stay safe. Love,_

_Ed_

—-

The Rockbell's never got much mail. There was the occasional letter from an old pal of Pinako's, a greeting for Winry from a customer or friend in Rush Valley, miscellaneous notes from varying people they'd met, and more recently, messages from Alphonse, all the way from Xing.

Even still, mail was few and far between. At best, perhaps they'd receive a few letters a month. And that's why it was so surprising for Winry to open their mailbox to find an envelope addressed to her in her fiancé's cursive, with his name dotting the return address.

—-

She read the letter - twice; rolling her eyes at his lunatic antics and blushing at his mentions of her and soaking in everything he could tell her about Creta. She examined the two pictures he stuffed into the envelope; one of him and a person she presumed to be Lou, the other of just him, standing in front of the restaurant. He was beaming like a complete idiot in both of them.

"What a dork," she muttered, smiling at the photo. Honestly, she never even expected him to follow through with his promise and write to her.

Well, she didn't really expect such a - shall we say, creative? - proposal; and at the train station, no less.

Jeez, that was only what, a little over a week ago? And it was already so weird without him, or Al, here. The house had the same strange quiet, calmness that hadn't resided there for a number of years. It was just her, Granny, Den, and the occasional customer.

Deep down, part of her actually hoped that Ed would bust his leg up just so he could come back for a few days. She grimaced; but then again, that meant having to deal with all the damage he'd probably inflicted on it. Ed only came back when it got really unmanageable, after all.

And it certainly wouldn't be much of a wedding with a dead, or close-to, groom.

She smirked at the thought. Truth be told, in the very short while she'd been engaged, she'd already given quite a bit of thought about the inevitable wedding, and plenty of the others she'd told had, as well.

Their little engagement had been quite the talk of the town, although it seemed to come as a shock to no one.

"Ed would want to hear_ all about it_, I'm sure," she said, chucking softly. She pursed her lips, swiveling in her chair and checking her clock. About an hour until her next appointment. Her lips pulled up in a grin as she turned back to her desk, grabbing a clean sheet of parchment and her favorite pen.

_Plenty of time,_ she thought as she began her response to Edward.


	3. chapter two

**a/n:** so i made a post on my tumblr clarifying ed and winry's relationship in this particular fic (their relationship prior to the proposal, etc.) it totally not required to read, but i just like making things as clear as possible and it's pretty short but it just runs over the basics. i was going to add more, but the whole thing will probably be dished out later in the story sooo yep it's **right here** if you'd like to take a look!

**a/n2:** i quite liked writing this chapter, and you all might understand why, but i won't spoil anything.

**enjoy!~**

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><p><em>Dear Ed,<em>

_First off, I'm still surprised that you actually took the time out of your oh-so-busy schedule to write to me. I mean, I'm not about to complain, but I figured you only agreed to it to get me off your back, like usual. I guess you've been surprising me quite a bit recently, huh?_

_Do __**not**__ make that a regular thing. I have worried about you and your idiotic endeavors enough to last me a lifetime. I don't want the next letter I receive to come from you locked up in some slimy Cretan infirmary, or worse, a penitentiary. I have a wrench right here with your name on it!_

_Anyways, Creta actually sounds kind of interesting, from how you're wording it. But you have always had a tendency to exaggerate. I mean aside from the blistering heat, that is. I didn't even think it was possible for temperatures to reach higher than Rush Valley. Just be careful, alright? Stay hydrated, and try not to go outside if it's really that hot. I don't want your automail burning off your flesh._

_That would take__** forever**__ to repair._

_Oh, and I know that you said automail was pretty much a completely foreign concept, but if you come across any engineers, or mechanics, or prosthetics of any kind, I want to hear all about it! A book about Cretan appendages would be even better!_

_But it sounds like you're in good hands over there, which is comforting, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before you get yourself into some kind of trouble._

_By the way, you better be maintaining your leg. And if you break it, Edward, I swear. Just don't forget what I said about the wrench!_

_Although, it __**might**__ be a little difficult to have a wedding if the groom is on his deathbed; whether it be by my hand or because of something you got yourself into over there._

_Speaking of which, news of the proposal spread like wildfire back here. I have never received so much attention in my entire phone has been ringing off the hook for days, and, I swear, at least half the town has come to personally congratulate me (and comment on the absence of a certain ring on my finger, just so you know!) Not that many people have actually been surprised about our engagement, just a whole lot of 'Well, it was about time!' or 'Jeez, it took you two long enough!'._

_I'm sure you won't mind, but I actually called Al a few days to tell him. He was relieved, more than anything; that makes two of us. He said that he'd been waiting for you to finally do it for ages now. When I told him how you did it, well, the smack of his hand colliding with his forehead was audible, let's just say that. But he's really happy for us, and he even asked when the date was! As if I'd thought that far in advance._

_I mean, it all depends on when you complete your research, but I've always liked the idea of a spring wedding. But that might not work, I mean, there'd be pollen everywhere and I don't want you sneezing every three seconds. The summer's usually too humid, and winter'd probably be too cold, even if we rarely get snow. That leaves autumn, or spring again. I mean, that is assuming we have an outdoor ceremony, considering neither of us are too fond of churches._

_…I guess I have put in a lot of thought, huh?_

_What do you think about it? We've gotta start somewhere, right? I mean, obviously I'd rather have you here to plan it with, but this will do for the time being._

_It's so strange without you here, or Al. It's abnormally quiet; save for the well-wishers and customers, it's usually just Granny, Den, and I. I'd gotten so used to you guys always being around, it feels like a different world now. Not necessarily bad (it's nice not having you complain about chores), but it's going to take some getting used to._

_Don't let it go to your head, but it's especially difficult at night. I didn't ever think for a moment I'd miss you snoring right in my ear, honestly, but I can hardly get to sleep without you._

_I miss you, too. More than I thought I would, admittedly._

_Well, I'm expecting a customer any minute now. I'm wondering how long it'll take for you to bust up your leg again; it better not be that soon!_

_Try to stay out of trouble, alright? And don't forget about maintenance!_

_Love,_

_Winry_

**—-**

"Hey, kid!" Lou shouted, voice deep and raspy. The door behind him slammed shut, warding off the insane Cretan heat.

Ed looked up from his map of the vicinity as he sat at the bar of Lou's modest restaurant. No way he was going to stay locked up in that stuffy excuse for a closet while he was trying to review his plans.

Lou shuffled through a pile of mail, fingers settling on an envelope and sliding it down the length of the wooden counter to Ed. "Letter for ya," he said simply, placing the rest of the stack down and preparing to open the establishment for the day.

Ed reached for it, pulling it to him; perplexed for a second as to who, exactly, was writing to him. He'd only given the address he'd be staying at (or at least, the first place he'd be staying at) to a small handful of people.

He examined his name written in finely crafted cursive as a smile crept across his face. He didn't even need to read the return address; he knew that penmanship anywhere.

"You gonna open the thing or just stare at it with that dumb grin on your face? I need your help openin' up," Lou stated dryly.

Ed chuckled, carefully inserting his thumb under the flap of the envelope and lifting it from it's tightly sealed glue. "Ah, shut up, old man," he replied cockily. "It's from Winry."

Lou looked up from wiping down a nearby table. "You mean that pretty blonde you got waiting back home?"

Ed put the letter down, prepared to hold up on his end of the deal he'd made with Lou through the help of Colonel Bastard.

_"Sure, you're welcome to stay with me! But you gotta help me out with my restaurant. Can't run the damn thing all by myself, now can I?"_

He leaned over the bar, grabbing another rag from the sink and lept off the stool. "The very same," he answered, getting to work. The quicker he got this done, the quicker he could read the letter from his fiancée.

Lou paused, staring at the boy who'd very quickly made a name for himself in the bustling Cretan city. The kid was a smartass, and was quite stubborn and sarcastic; not to mention his short temper. But, damn, this kid was devoted. He'd only been staying with Lou, what, a few weeks at most? And there'd barely been a second this brat wasn't hunching over some map or book, or out digging up every single lead he come across about that alchemy stuff.

Mustang'd warned him about that; the brat was seriously dedicated.

Especially when it came to that mechanic of his. The kid rarely ever brought her up, but when he did, oh man. It was like he couldn't be stopped. And it wasn't even the mushy, coupley stuff. He didn't gush over her, with hearts in his eyes. He just talked and talked and talked about her; bragging about her work as an accomplished engineer at her age, boasting about her kind yet headstrong nature, even telling dumb little stories about her.

This kid was in_ deep_ for her.

Ed looked up from cleaning the bar. "What's with you?"

Lou blinked at him, laughing at the confusion on the young kid's face. "Nothin'. Just go read that letter from your girl and come back down when you're done."

Ed frowned, opening his mouth in protest before Lou gave him a stare that left no room for arguments. "Don't fight me on this, kid. If I make you wait, you'll just rush through opening the store and do it all half-assed. I won't have it. Just go read it upstairs and then get your ass back down here."

Ed smirked - the old guy put up a tough exterior, but he wasn't half bad once you got down to it. He didn't expect that; this guy being affiliated with Mustang, and all.

He leaned across the counter, grabbing the letter and tossing his signature grin at the shopkeeper "Thanks, old man! I owe you one!"

He barely heard the muffled 'no problem, kid' as he booked it up the musty stairs to the apartment; his focus was already preoccupied on his letter from a certain mechanic.


	4. chapter three

**a/n:** this chapter is very winry-centric, but the next will probably focus pretty heavily on ed, so it'll al round out!

**a/n2:** totally didn't proofread this all the way, so please excuse any huge mistakes!

**enjoy!~**

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><p>Winry wasn't bewildered in the slighted when she didn't receive her next letter two months later. Consistency was never Ed's strong suit, after all. She'd had plenty to keep her busy in the meantime, anyways.<p>

She'd decided to return to hustle, bustle and heat of her beloved Rush Valley in order to complete her internship. After all, she had spent a solid two years away from the Holy Land of Automail. She was hesitant to leave Granny alone, at first, but the old woman had simply blown a puff of smoke in the young girl's face and shooed her off; insisting they didn't call her the Panteress of Resembool for nothing. She could certainly handle herself - as well as the small but loyal group of local customers Winry'd accumulated over the years.

With the brothers off exploring, there wasn't much of anything keeping Winry from reuniting with her eager group of friends and patrons in The Boomtown of the Broken-Down.

She'd missed the town and its residents dearly and they'd ached to see her again just as much. In fact, when her train pulled into the station, she was greeted by a small group of friends including Paninya, who'd practically yanked her off the platform and into a hug, and Garfiel, who proceeded to rip Winry out of the other girl's arms and into an emotional embrace of his own.

Winry just laughed into her eccentric mentor's shoulders and let the group cart her off to the studio, where an even larger party had been assembled to celebrate her arrival. It comforted Winry to know the town had noticed her absence and was just as thrilled as she was to have returned.

It didn't take her long to get back into the swing of things. Though she felt she'd missed a lot in the two year gap, Garfiel was quick to reassure and catch her up to speed; not that he felt she needed much assistance.

It was a tag bit overwhelming, at first, considering all of her former customers were practically lining up around the block to have her take a look at their automail. It was quite a bit of work, but she never turned anyone away and always made time for appointments; even on a deadline. She thrived like this, though; she loved being completely immersed in her work, and it was all worth while when she received thanks and praise from her customers.

Honestly, she'd been so consumed and busy since she'd returned, she wasn't completely bothered that Ed hadn't written her. Of course she missed him quite a bit, and working on automail twenty-four-seven only served as a reminder, but she reassured herself that he was in safe and capable hands. Besides, she wasn't even sure she'd be able to find time to be able to actually sit down and form a coherent reply with so much on her plate.

But even still, when Garfiel slid a certain thick envelope next to her breakfast plate - along with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle - she couldn't keep her fingers off of it, even if she had to work on Mr. Langfeld's leg. She frowned a little when she noticed the return address was not a foreign one; in fact, it was from her home in Resembool.

Her heart sank a little, but she opened it regardless only to find another envelope inside, with an attached note that fell into her lap. She recognized it instantly as her grandmother's chicken scrawl and read it anxiously.

_Winry,_

_You forget to tell that pipsqueak boyfriend of yours that you moved. He sent this for you, and it's probably not going to be the last, so make sure you set him straight. Stamps are expensive._

_Hope you're doing well. I'm sure you're making the Rockbell name even bigger and brighter._

_-Granny_

Winry smiled softly at her grandmother's unique way of showing affection, and made a mental note to call her sometime in the coming week.

But that could wait, for now.

She grabbed the unopened envelope excitedly, heart clenching a little as she read over his handwriting.

She tried not to dwell on it too much, but, god, when she let herself really think about it, she missed him. She missed his arrogant and dopey smirk, she missed his cocky attitude, she missed his arms tight around her waist and his incessant snoring into her hair.

She tried not to think about about how much longer it might be until she got to experience that again.

Winry let out a sigh, releasing the pressure growing in her chest. This would just have to do, for now. She found herself growing lighter at the prospect of actually hearing from him again and tore open the letter, even though she didn't really have the time.

_Hey Win!_

_Sorry that it's, uh, been a few months but you aren't gonna believe what I've been up to!_

_So, get this, I'm sitting at Lou's bar hunched over some maps and shit when this guy just waltzes in. Well, that's phrasing it too lightly. He literally bursts in the door and he's a regular, and I recognize him as one of the port workers. They handle what comes in and out of town via the huge ass body of water, yeah? Well, it's usually just fish and produce and imports from Aerugo and whatever but this guy comes in here all excited saying some of the fisherman caught a shark._

_A shark._

_A motherfucking, huge-ass, great white shark. And, yeah, this place gets a crapton of fish, like it's all they fucking eat around here, but they almost never get sharks. But here was this giant beast of a thing and everyone was just freaking out._

_Because, it's like, how often do you get to see a shark?!_

_So some of the guys and I literally sprinted out of there and raced our asses off to the port before they sold if off to the highest bidder. And holy shit, Winry, that thing was huge. like, at least twenty or thirty feet long and it had these sharp, jagged teeth that could probably eat you whole. It was sick as hell and we even got a picture with it! Side note: Pretty sure I've gotten taller, too. Heh._

_Anyway, it's nice to hear that everything's good back home. And that I'm still the talk of the town, hell yeah. I hope you're all givin' 'em hell; for the both of us. I mean, of course they're giving you a shit ton of attention! Do you even know who you're engaged to?! The youngest State Alchemist in history, the Fullmetal Alchemist, the kid who saved the entire country! And you; pretty much the best mechanic in the whole damn world, who can make a mean apple pie and has the arm of a war veteran. I mean, you're amazing, Win. And together, we're like the dream team! Of course people are goin' nuts!_

_(We're probably the best looking couple they've ever seen, too! 'Specially you, Win.)_

_And, yeah, about the whole ring thing; let's just say I received a call from Al approximately three minutes after he finished talking with you and he chewed me out. Big time. But let's just say that, yeah, I know and I'm working on it, alright?! I don't wanna give you too much information 'cause I want it to be special and a surprise, ya know?_

_So, a spring wedding, huh? Doesn't sound half bad, honestly. It wouldn't be too damn hot or anything, and there'd be a lot of pretty flowers (and I'm not gonna be 'sneezing every 3 seconds', jeez, woman!) so yeah. Spring. Never really felt much preference toward any season in particular, but now I'm really likin' the thought of spring. Here's to hoping it gets here as soon as possible._

_And to hoping that I can actually complete this freaking research with enough time left over to plan a wedding for spring. I mean, that stuff takes awhile, right? Eh, who cares, we'll figure it out. We always do._

_The dream team, remember? We're unstoppable, you and me._

_I miss you._

_I know you'd kill me, but part of me actually wishes I'd screw up and bust my leg just so I'd have an excuse to come see you for a few days. But don't worry, I value my life too much._

_But I really miss you. A lot._

_Hope you're giving 'em all hell. Stay safe._

_Love, Ed_

Winry didn't even manage to read the entire thing in one sitting; work comes first, after all, and god knows she had plenty of it. It's when she's flopped down on her bed, combing out her hair and stretching out her sore muscles after a long day does she finally finish the thing.

She bite her lip at the corresponding photograph; sure enough, there he is standing next to a rather impressive shark. His sleeves were rolled up and his hair glimmered against the supposed burning sun and she tried so very hardly to shake the thought that he actually looked taller. She stifled a laugh; he's got that big, dorky smile on his face and it made her heart get a little tighter.

She exhaled deeply, throwing her body under the covers and turning off the lights. She knew thinking about how much she misses him would do nothing to diffuse to dull ache in her chest.

But even still, she couldn't help but note the absence of him curled up beside her. That thought kept her up a little later, making it slightly more difficult to find sleep.

But just as the drowsiness was about to take her, her lips turned upward and her mood lifted; at least he wasn't there to steal all the covers.

She slept a little easier that night.


	5. chapter four

**a/n: **so i would just like to preface this by saying that this chapter is slightly more on the** t-rating** side of things. nothing too bad, just a little risque.**  
>an2: **also i am so sorry this took so long to get up on ffnet. the doc manager was acting weird and i forgot about it for a while blah blah excuses but it's here now and i really liked it and i hope you guys will, too!  
><strong>an3:** also, this chapter doesn't contain an actual letter, and for that i apologize. it is, however, about double the words of past chapters, so you have that to look forward to!

_It was fucking hot. Granted, not nearly as scorching as Creta was, but Rush Valley was so much more congested; what with people cramming together and sucking up the fresh air, it felt like suffocation and affixation. It was worse, in a way._

_Ed grimaced at the image of this scenario if he'd still had his automail arm; engineers would be scrambling all over him just to get a looksee; their breath grimy and eyes hungry and greedy and this whole town was fucking nuts, really. Thank god his leg was easily concealable._

_Besides, there was only one mechanic he would allow to get handsy with him; let her breath cling to his, but with a different kind of hunger burning in her eyes._

_A quick shove in the sea of people brought him out of that recurring fantasy and he prayed the growing heat on his cheeks could be played off as heat stroke._

_He gulped, shaking his golden head and ignored the sweat clinging to his brow and quickened his step before he reached the familiar storefront reading 'Atelier Garfiel'._

_He didn't even knock; nor did it cross his one-track mind. He just wanted to see her, to hold her, to touch her, to kiss h-_

_He paused, dropping his suitcase on the musty floor and letting the loud thump jolt him. Don't get ahead of yourself, jeez, he reminded himself sternly. First thing's first; he had to find the girl before any more of his illusions could even remotely become a reality._

_Carefully, he made his way through the shop, which was unusually abandoned; not even that creepy Garfiel and his lacy dresses were around. His nerves tensed up as he crept up the creaky stairs, wary of a wrench to suddenly connect with his skull._

_He shuddered at the thought; he really should've just called her before just showing up like this. But it was supposed to be a surprise, dammit, one that would light up her whole face and warm her heart and bring her crashing into his arms!_

_But if she mistook him for an intruder, or worse, assumed he'd busted his leg..._

_He gulped, scolding himself for not thinking if out more thoroughly (but really, when did he ever think something through?) as he cautiously hollered her name into the seemingly empty building._

_"Yo, Winry!" He kicked his foot against the already ajar door that lead to her room; jumping away from it as it swung open as if a skeleton were to come out and grasp him. He sneered at his cowardice but his nerves were already on the fritz to being with._

_Once he concluded that there were, in fact, no paranormal creatures lurking in her bedroom, he meekly stuck his head inside._

_It was humble; tidy and organized, save for the various bolts and cables that lingered around, but lacked any source of human life. He frowned; no dice._

_Turning on his heel, he locked his sights on the next door to his right. He wasn't positive what room lie behind it, but he wasn't about to stand there having a stare off with the damn thing to see which one would budge._

_He grumbled; aggravated with the lack of lemon-blonde hair whipping around his face and the whiff of a vanilla-polishing oil concoction and soft but calloused in all the right places hands wrapping around him._

_Six months was a long time, but, honestly, he'd settle for a wrench right now if just meant seeing the damn girl!_

_And boy, would he be seeing her._

_His hands closed around the brass knob, failing to notice the clearly tacked 'Do Not Disturb!' sign hanging off the handle. With a push, the door opened before him, revealing the bathroom he now remembered was here._

_The memory was hazy, and not too significant, anyway; just a simple toilet, sink, and a porcelain bathtub. Nothing out of the ordinary, and certainly nothing to fret about._

_But what Ed did fret about, what he didn't recall about the typical washroom was the blonde mechanic he'd been searching for lounging hazily in the tub. Taking a bath._

_A bubble bath._

_Naked._

_Winry's sapphire blue eyes snapped up to meet his. A crimson blush spreads all along her body and she cowered into the tub, trying to hide as much her decency as possible. "Ed?!" She mustered, bewildered. Mortification lined her features and though her face was frozen in shock, anger darkened her eyes. That tone was all too familiar to him, and he knew he should get the hell out of dodge but he could not bring himself to tear his eyes away. He couldn't seem to form any thought remotely coherent. His body trembles and his breath quickens and his heart throbs all over as he takes her in._

_The bubbles outlined her form; clinging to her glimmering skin and causing his breath the catch in his throat. The frothy white concealed most of her, but her knees peeked out just enough to cause him to inch forward. The foam danced around her tantalizingly and he was suddenly aware of a floral aroma clouding his thoughts. The fizz reached all around, poking at her creamy white skin and stopping just above the peak of her breasts..._

"Edward!" A thick, raspy voice shook the walls of the closet sized room and knuckles rap against the door, echoing loudly.

Ed snapped up at his desk, waking up quite unpleasantly; muscles quickly screaming in protest and a crook in his neck and he's vaguely aware that he is not, in fact, in Rush Valley, but in Creta. Still. Without Winry or a bubble bath.

He groaned, slamming his achy body against the stiff chair and rubbing his hands down the sides of his face. _Damn it, Elric, snap out of it!_

He exhaled deeply, heaving his chest in a large sigh. This was, what, the third time he'd dreamt about her in a week? And god knows how many times it'd happened overall!

He was in deep. As if he wasn't already reminded her whenever he glanced at his left leg, but in his dreams, now, too? Did he really miss her that much?

"Edward!" Came the gruff voice again, but time it entered his room as a petite middle-aged woman stormed in, a stern look on her face as she shook a wooden spoon dangerously close to his head.

"I have called you for dinner," she paused, counted her fingers and then wagging the result in front of his eyes. "Seven times, now!"

He sighed again, about to pour out one of his world-famous (literally) excuses when she took a step back and scoped out his room.

"Ay ay ay, Edward, what a pig you are! Look at how filthy this room is!" Her prickly eyes examined the room with extreme scrutiny. She wasn't completely exaggerating though; the room was covered in layers of shirts, pants, underwear, not to mention countless texts and papers littering the floor.

He grunted, mood considerably damped to begin with. "Well it isn't like I have much space to put everything," he muttered under his breath; aggravating evident in his tone.

Mrs. Anita Sprague, Lou's Aerugonean wife, was a motherly type, to say the least. She was nosy, strict, but kind-hearted and caring when it came down to it, and she cared for the whole town with a fierce passion. She was stern but all-knowing, and was constantly badgering Ed to complete his 'alchemy-nonsense' research and get out of her hair.

But he smirked; he knew better, and the woman had already taken quite a fond liking to the young man. She'd raised her three sons with a thick tongue and now that her babies were well grown and gone, she'd opened their home to Ed with open arms, despite their occasional clashing.

Nothing got past the woman, honestly, and her eyes flicked to his in response to his rude comment but she ignored it.

"Ay, haven't you even heard of cleaning, Edward! I swear, all you - ah!" Her x-ray vision locked onto something she must of left out of the 'alchemy-nonsense' category. She reached over his nightstand and grasped a small picture frame.

Immediately his heart jumped to his throat as she pondered it with her probing gaze. She flew her eyes back to his as a smug look crept upon her face. "Is this the Winry I've heard so much about?" She turned the frame over in her hands, looking for more clues as the glimmer of the glass caught his eye; revealing a trace of the image he had memorized.

Al had taken it; he'd gotten Winry a new camera for her birthday, but he loved it almost as much as she did. She didn't mind at all that he'd sneak it out her room and take snapshots of random occurrences; she was really pleased, as she loved to capture the moment, and to see Al so happy. This particular one he'd taken while they were on the front porch on a particularly warm day; lazing around in the sun and praying for the wind to pick up a tad while they drank her homemade lemonade.

The light bounced off her blonde hair and arched around her like the sun. Her eyes were alight and wide and brilliantly blue and her smile was contagious as ever. Everytime he looked at the photo, he couldn't help but crack even a small grin. She looked... pretty, beautiful, really but most of all? Happy; as radiant as the sun, without a care in the world. And that's what meant the most.

Ed rubbed his hands sheepishly across the back of his neck, but he couldn't manage to tone down his wide grin. "Yep, that's her," he said simply, but his tone said it all.

Mrs. Sprague nodded, and any anger about the untidy room seemed to vanish completely from her mind. She smiled softly down at the photo as she hummed, "She's very beautiful, Edward."

"Yeah, she really is. You have no idea," he admitted, a hint of admiration adorning his face.

The older woman cracked a knowing smile. "Really, now? What's she like?"

He scoffed, rolling his eyes at her prying, maternal nature. "Oh, please, I've already told you what she's like."

It was her turn to scoff, this time, and she used her hands in circling gestures to encourage him on. "Yes, sure, but what is she _like_, Edward?"

He paused; pressing his lips together and furrowing his brow and racking his brain for the right words to fit Winry Rockbell before he came up blank. "... what do you mean?" He asked lamely.

"Ay ay ay!" She exclaimed, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing deeply. She looked him dead in the eyes, resting her palms firmly on his shoulders.

"Do you love her?" She asked, simply.

"Yeah, of course!" He responded quickly, before he was taken back by the enormity of his words. That was the closest he'd ever come to saying it out loud, let alone for anyone else to hear. He'd never even managed to say it Al, and, sure it'd written it to Winry, but he hadn't, with his own voice, declared it. Even still, it felt completely solid and right and whole, with every fiber in his body.

Mrs. Sprague narrowed her eyes once more, as if she could see right through him. He wriggled uncomfortably under her gaze before she removed her hands and set them on her hips; a proud grin plastered on her face.

"Good. I can tell, you know, these eyes know all," she bragged, pointing to her wide open iris and letting out a good hearty chuckle that Ed returned wholeheartedly.

"Now come downstairs and eat before your food gets cold! I whipped up some of the Sprague Family Delicacies!" She moved her hand to her stomach, smiling wickedly. "Mmmm, Edward, you will love them. So rich and tasty... Oh! You should send some of them to your Winry; something to remember us by when you leave! You said she was good at cooking, yes? I'm sure she is; strong capable hands who can build limbs out of mighty steel, yes! She is good for you, Edward, just like my food, yes!"

Ed followed her down the stairs, laughing as Mrs. Sprague continued on her famous rambles; going on and on about her cooking as she slid a thick salmon fillet onto his plate, drenched in a fragrant rich orange sauce. He would give the old lady that much; she could cook up a mean dinner and his stomach was grumbling in anticipation.

After he'd stuffed his face, and his pants felt tighter around the band, he sighed happily; leaning back in his chair until Mrs. Sprague scolded him and Lou laughed in response. Right as he was about to rise to clean his plate (not it needed much cleaning), Mrs. Sprague wiggled a letter in front of his face; a knowledgeable smirk planted on her lips.

"From your _Winry_," she said, placing it gently in his lap and grabbing his plate for him, throwing him a knowing wink as she entered the kitchen.

Ed stared at it eagerly but he knew better; the old woman had very strict table restrictions. His foot began to jiggle impatiently and he kept glancing at the clock every three seconds before she reentered the room and frowned.

"What are you waiting here for?"

Ed's eyes widened. "Oh, well, uh, you know..."

"You read the letter in your room, boy! It's rude to read in front of the table!"

"Oh, right, sure!" Ed said, smiling as he rose from his chair. Her thick voice cut him off once more.

"Forgetting something?"

"Oh yeah, uh... May I be excused?" He grumbled quietly; just itching for a way out.

"What was that?" She grinned at him; she was relishing every minute of it.

He sighed, annoyed. "May I be excused?"

She let out a loose laugh and waved her hand in the direction of the staircase. "You may, Edward."

He nodded, muttering a reluctant 'thank you' under his breath but he couldn't help but keep the grin off his face as he raced for his room.

Mrs. Sprague just chucked to herself, turning to her husband with a know-it-all look on her face. "She's good for him, that girl. Very good for him."

Mrs. Sprague was known for being right for a reason, after all.


	6. chapter five

**pairing:** ed/winry  
><strong>rating:<strong> k+ for language  
><strong>an:** THREE. MONTHS. _THREE MONTHS_. i honestly have no excuse aside from school, school, and school which of course has the lovely side effects of time-consumption and stress and bleh bleh excuses all that matters now is that it's up! it's up finally! praise jesus.  
><strong>an2:** once again, this chapter is dedicated to and very, very mush inspired by the lovely laura whose writing (and wonderful presence really) just does things to me and i want to melt into a pile of goop.

prologue | chapter one | chapter two | chapter three | chapter four | ffnet**  
><strong>

enjoy!~

* * *

><p>Winry hums; a smile reserved only for one former alchemist playing across her lips as she carefully - with hands fine-tuned for precision and care - decreases the folds of her most recent letter. Not surprisingly enough, it's becoming more rare to receive word from her bumbling dope of a... What even should she call him? Boyfriend? Lover? Fiance, of sorts; well obviously, they've (she's) even started wedding details. Surely he's all of those things to her (well, quite frankly he's so,<em> so<em> much more, but for simplicity's sake) but she forcing an exact label is so damn difficult, especially when she hasn't seen him in... what, six? Seven months now?

Edward's letters are detailed, to say the least, especially when they begin to arrive farther and farther apart. He rambles off excuse after excuse and delves her into the foreign exploration he so adores. He discusses the cuisine, his friends, his enemies and rivals (she really isn't surprised he managed to get under _someone's_ skin), and even a bit of automail-related news, where applicable, of course. He doesn't filter out any of the alchemic progress, only summarizes it, and she's grateful (even if most of it does go over her gear-wired brain). He recognizes she doesn't particularly understand it, but he wants her to be a part (the smallest, safest part that keeps her astray from chimeras and those damn homunculi and all-knowledge-seeking beings) of one of the largest chunks of his life. She may not comprehend it all, but she certainly doesn't want him catering to her every need.

Oh god, her _needs_. The mere mentioning of such a thing, even in her head, is enough to make her flop over and groan in agony. _Needs_, she thinks bitterly. Dumb, trivial things she didn't even realize she had until he was gone. At least when she, when they were children she had school and textbooks and a few close friends to occupy the hole the Elrics left in her heart.

Of course she's made countless friends and contacts in Rush Valley - it's her effect on people, Edward claims. Her charm - and she's busy enough to elicit one or two all-nighters a week, but something is just different. It's different after being with him for two whole uninterrupted, blissful years where she saw him and touched him and was with him everyday. She became unawarely privileged, and the needs she'd had satisfied for so long finally decide to become antsy and unsatisfied and bite her right in the ass.

It's numb; missing him. Of course she misses him, but it isn't always conscious, for doing so would waste her time and she hasn't got any to spare. Her one consoling factor is that she knows, for a_ fact_, that the feeling isn't one-sided. In fact, it's entirely mutual, at the very least. He doesn't always outright spell it out, but, god, she's known him _so_ long - he's practically an open book.

Winry blinks up at the dim ceiling and pauses (she hadn't even realized she'd been rubbing the fold of the parchment between her thumb and index finger), hearing a small ringing in the space between her ears. It reverberates inside her skull and she blinks tartly. A groan escapes her lips and she mentally kicks herself for the apparent lack of sleep she's been getting and it occurs to her that she isn't even sure what time it is. Curious, she turns her head to her window and peaks her eyes through the slants of the blinds. The sky is navy but just at the brink of the horizon, a color she can only describe as 'Elric gold' merges with the night stars.

_How fitting_, she thinks tartly, and for a few seconds she's lost in subconscious of the world around her. It's then that she recognizes the ringing she hears is not in fact a result of sleep deprivation, but certainly the shrill bells of the telephone downstairs.

In an instant, she's snapped out of the quilt that was once her mother's and books it down the narrow stairwell that leads to Mr. Garfiel's shop a floor below. It's almost incredible how the motivation pours back into her at the prospect of work (as if she didn't already have enough mechanical puzzles on her plate) but in a moment's noticed, she's prepared to assist anyone who needs her.

Her fingers wrap around the receiver as she recites the opening monologue she's got memorized. "Hello, Atelier Garfiel-"

A shrill, surprisingly deep voice cuts her off, "Automail and Prosthetics, yatta yatta, yeah I know the drill."

She's momentarily stunned by the blatant rudeness of the person of the other line until it hits her like a wrench. For a second, she forgets to inhale.

"Ed?!" She exclaims, although it's only a formality. She would know that voice anywhere.

An admittedly deep and husky chuckle serves as her response and she actually gets a prickle of goosebumps from the sound. "Hey, Win," Ed replies coolly.

A feeling that can only be described as pure bliss washes over her, even if for a split second. Hearing him utter a meager number of words and syllables is enough to launch her over the moon and for a brief moment, absolutely nothing else matters.

A brief moment, however. Before it hits her (again) and she frowns at the receiver and clutches the transmitter wire between her fingers. "Edward, you better not be calling me in the middle of the night to tell me," she pauses, choking on anger rising in her throat, "that you broke your automail or so help me god-!"

The response is immediate and fear-induced. "What?! No, Win, god no, do you think I'm an idiot?" He rambles off his defense, panicked, hoping to save a little skin even though she couldn't even do anything if she wanted to; not with thousands of miles between them.

Winry cocks a smile to no one; one, because she's honestly proud he hasn't destroyed his leg in half a year (it must be a new record!) and two, because even after this time, she can tell nothing's changed.

"...I'm going to decline to comment on that one,"-a scoff from the other line brightens her smile-, "but you swear nothings wrong? All your limbs are in the same state you left Amestris with? Two arms, two legs, one metal?"

Ed scoffs again, "What? Yeah, yeah, everything's fine, Win, relax. Damn, you think I'd be able to just call my woman without her jumping down my throat about precious automail, nonetheless," the coy smile reaching across the line is evident, "but that wouldn't be the girl I fell in love with, huh?"

Winry rolls her eyes lightly at the comment, but her heart flutters effortlessly and her cheeks flush relentlessly. She mouths a silent 'thank you!' to the dark and the fact that Garfiel is fast asleep.

"Well, then, what's your excuse for calling this early in the morning? You know, I do actually like to sleep, contrary to your belief" she says in mock annoyance.

Ed mumbles an incoherent statement - she picks out the words 'work-crazy' and 'gearhead' - before rising up and speaking in a decipherable tone. "I need an excuse? Pft, I thought you'd be happy to hear from me; your breadwinning, genius, devilishly handsome fiance who just happened to wrap up his alchemic research three months in advance!"

She's about to retort something about Ed's head being far too large for such a shrimp, but all words are caught in her throat as she replays his words in her head. Once. Twice. Third times the charm.

Did she hear it correctly? Her sleep-hungry mind isn't playing tricks on her, is it?

"You're coming home?" Winry asks quietly and incredulously, as if any loud noise would serve to wake her up from what has to be a dream.

The chuckle Ed lets out this time is completely light-hearted and sincere. "Yup, I just need a week or so to wrap everything up here, and I'll be on a train to Rush Valley before you know it."

She lets out a breath of relief, and a weight she didn't quite recall is suddenly lifted off her shoulders. "How on earth did you manage to complete your research so ahead of schedule?"

"Eh, I dunno. I guess you could say I've had some really kickass motivation. I mean," he coughs awkwardly, "I've just missed you, Win."

Winry coils the wire around her finger and sighs, giving a small smile. "I've missed you, too." She immediately feels oddly embarrassed at the heavy silence and declarations and shifts the direction of the conversation. "So, a week, huh?"

"Yeah, maybe less than that but definitely not any longer," Ed assures her. Assures himself.

"Great! I'll, uh, wait for you then! At the train station, I mean," she stops herself and mentally sighs for stumbling over her words.

"Yeah, sounds good! I'll call you again before I leave, alright?" Ed pauses. "I'm really excited to see you, again, Win. Can't wait."

She grins into the receiver and does little to ignore her heart sputtering out of control.

"Me too, Ed."

They mumble their goodbyes in a few words (which may or may not contain the words 'I', 'love', and 'you') and Winry hangs up the receiver feeling significantly lighter. She completes her work quickly and even more so efficiently than normal. With a smile and a quick blush, she accredits this to the very same newfound determination Ed described.

Winry begins counting down the days.


End file.
